There are currently four universities and colleges in South Carolina that offer a total of five master’s in communication programs, four of which are campus-based and one of which is online. Students interested in enrolling in a master’s in communication program at a school in South Carolina have numerous specializations to choose from, including organizational communication, mass communication, and strategic communication management. All the schools listed on this page are non-profit institutions of higher education that have received regional accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Campus-Based Master’s in Communication Programs in South Carolina

Bob Jones University’s Division of Communication in Greenville offers a Master of Arts in Communication Studies with a specialization in Organizational Communication. Students take required courses in quantitative and qualitative communication research, advanced organizational communication, communication assessment methods, and communication management effectiveness. They then choose from electives in areas such as communication training and development, conflict management, nonverbal communication, intercultural communication, crisis communication, strategic narratives, and applied communication research. For their final graduation requirement, students can either complete a master’s thesis or an applied graduate research project that requires them to create a consulting document for a company or other organization.

Clemson University’s Department of Communication offers a Master of Arts in Communication, Technology, and Society with Research Emphasis Areas in Health Communication; Strategic Communication; Sport Communication; Media and Technology. This program has a core curriculum that covers foundational concepts in communication, as well as qualitative and quantitative communication research methods. From there, students can tailor their course of study through electives and seminars in areas such as health communication and health campaigns, communication in social movements, popular culture, media and technology, communication education, scientific and technical writing, public relations theory and research, political communication, and leadership communication. As their final graduation requirement, students can choose between completing a scholarly or a project-based master’s thesis, or taking and passing a comprehensive examination.

The University of South Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications in Columbia offers a Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Master of Mass Communication with specializations in Multimedia Journalism, and Strategic Communication Management. The Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication program is comprised of core classes in mass communication research methods, the history of mass media, communication theory, media law, and the literature of mass communication. Students can choose from electives in areas such as public relations strategies, brand communications, newspaper photojournalism, public affairs reporting, and creative advertising. For their final graduation requirements, students take a five-hour comprehensive examination and complete a six credit-hour master’s thesis that they must defend before a committee.

The Master of Mass Communication with specializations in Multimedia Journalism and Strategic Communication Management prepares students for careers in integrated communication, journalism, media management, and other positions that require a strong understanding of mass media and communications management. This program does not require a master’s thesis, but does require students to complete a practicum in a newspaper, television, magazine, or public relations organization. Students take core classes in areas such as research methods in mass communication, media law, strategic communications principles, mass communication management, and new technologies and mass media. Electives in this program cover areas such as advertising management, creative leadership, public relations campaigns and management, magazine article writing, crisis communications, integrated communication campaigns, content analysis and research, media economics, and risk communication.

Online Master’s in Communication Programs in South Carolina

At present, there is only one school in South Carolina that offers a master’s in communication program online. The College of Charleston’s Department of Communication has an Online Master of Arts in Communication, which is a general program with electives that prepares students to understand the connections between the fields of communication, social sciences, and humanities. Students’ classes are divided into several modules: a Communication Foundation Module, a Digital Media Communication Module, a Leadership Communication Module, and a Strategic Communication Module. While the Communication Foundation module includes two required courses in communication theory and communication research methods, the other three modules allow students to choose two courses from a menu of four courses per module. Classes that students can take cover topics such as race, gender, and class in media; identity and impression management; leadership communication; ethics in communication; strategic communication campaigns; intercultural communication; and advanced rhetorical principles and theories. The culminating experience for this program is a Capstone Module, wherein students can choose to complete an internship, a capstone project, a supervised teaching experience, and/or a master’s thesis. Students work closely with their faculty advisor to determine what they will do for their Capstone Module.

There are also numerous out-of-state schools offering online master’s in communication programs that accept students who are residents of South Carolina. These programs may be particularly helpful to residents of South Carolina who do not live near a campus-based program, such as people who live in Florence or Rock Hill, or for students who cannot or would prefer not to commute to campus for personal or professional reasons.

Prospective students should note that not all online master’s in communication programs are authorized to accept students from all 50 states, due to state authorization policies and procedures. In addition, some programs require students to attend one or more campus intensives, which are events held on-campus (or at satellite locations) that typically include in-person lectures and discussions, career workshops, and other interactive learning and networking opportunities for students. These intensives aim to enhance students’ learning experience and can be beneficial for students. However, students are generally responsible for the costs associated with attending these events, and the travel required may at times conflict with personal or work obligations. As a result, applicants should thoroughly research the campus intensive requirements of the programs that interest them prior to applying to decide if they want to attend a program with or without these requirements.

To help individuals interested in pursuing their graduate degree in communication online, MastersinCommunications.com developed an Online Masters in Communication Programs page featuring a comprehensive directory of all accredited online master’s in communication programs currently available nationwide. This page also includes information about geographical restrictions that these programs may have, as well as details on campus intensives.

Directory of Master’s in Communication Programs in South Carolina

All Master’s in Communication Programs in South Carolina

Campus programs, Campus/Hybrid programs, Online programs (fully online to 2 campus visits per year), Hybrid-Online programs (3 to ~5 campus visits per year)

Bob Jones University

(Greenville)

Division of Communication

• Master of Arts in Communication Studies (with a Specialization in Organizational Communication)

Clemson University

(Clemson)

Department of Communication

• Master of Arts in Communication, Technology and Society (with Research Emphasis Areas in Health Communication, Strategic Communication, Sport Communication, and Media and Technology)

  Interview with Travers Scott, Ph.D. - Clemson University

College of Charleston

(Charleston)

Department of Communication

• Online Master of Arts in Communication (General Program with Electives)

  Interview with Michael J. Lee, Ph.D. - College of Charleston

University of South Carolina

(Columbia)

School of Journalism and Mass Communications

• Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication

• Master of Mass Communication (with Specializations in Multimedia Journalism, and Strategic Communication Management)